Guide for router bits



R L CARTER GUIDE FOR ROUTER BITS Filed Aug. 2. 1926 I 00 m1, /0 ma 7 q /0 Jah. 31, 1928.

Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

BASE L. CARTER, OE. rnonnix, "New YbBK;

A' n'cionmed Angus t2, 1926; Serial No. 126,659.

This invention relates" to an attachment for routing machines, and has particular refer'ence'to a combined support and tool guide for routersemployed for pertormrng 5 certaix'ivrork; V

The. object of the invention a base' for adjustably supporting" a? motordriven rout-e r, the said base having aplane bottom that rests venient point below the router" base, thesaid mean consisting of a bracket having'an angular body, which is detachabl'ysecured to and extends laterally fhra' considerable i distance froin the base; a portion of said below the bottom prime" of the 'basepantlsupporting anarm that ex-* bracket extending the center of tends inwardly"radially pa" the" base and supportsa 'L1itle roll'er having i the same diameter" the "routing bityand" whose axis coincides with the axis ofsaid bit, thef said roller bein adjnstabieaxially towards and-aivay from the bit, and adapted to traverse pattern guide-Ways or grooves formed in the bottomface of any suitable templet, for directingthe routing bit to trace and cut identical gains or grooves in a piece of wood or other work mounted above the templet; the arrangement of the guidinganeans being such that-therouting n'iachine may be freely propelled manually in all directions in the plane of the top surface of the work, for routing intricate, tortuous of plain patterns, without requiring adjustment or alteration of the machine or the guiding parts during the performance of the work. 7

I attain these objects by the means set forth in the detailed description which follows, and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a top plan View of the router base, to which the improved guiding mechanism is applied.

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showing the routing machine mounted upon a piece of Work, the latter being supported by a templet; also showing the routing bit 7 in the act of cutting a groove in the top face of the work that exactly corresponds to a pattern formed in the bottom face of the is *to provide upon and moves over a 1e surface of the work, and having central which the cutting tool:

Fig. 2 is a front side ele-' valion of the same with parts broken away,

templet and traversed by the guide-roller;

A-ndFig. 8 isan end elevationoi theguidin'g attachmenti In the drawing, 2=represents an ordinary electric motor having a threaded exterior 2, and an armature shaft 2 uponwhiclr may be mounted any suitablechu'ck 3",:to which bits of (lure-ea shapes andkinds, use, maybe interchangeably secured-for efi ecting various cuts. The motor 2 is usu-' ally supported by a cylindricalholder 5," which-"111213" be internally threaded for a i=1 justingtheniotor and-tool' axially? The" holder 5 supported-and suitably spacedf above and clear of a circular meat siinrlar legs 6, which may also-serve for hand'les,

by which the operator manipulates the ni'a chine; The base 6isformedfwitlr a central" opening b through which the bit t and the base has a smooth plane bottom nee usually engages a surface of-the work, as; 00 (see Fig: At O1 e"SlCl6'," the top of; the base isformed with 'sin'iilar raised horiaonta'l sockets 6, 1 other, andin which ma befiins erted the arms [of a forkedbracket 7, the" latterbeing' held rigidly in place by any suitable means,

The bracket? extends a c'on prays,

that parallel i eac'lr sidera'ble distance beyond the periphery of the base, and its outer extremity is formed With 21 depending arm 7*, whose free end is perforated to receive a guide-rod 8, which is detachably held in place by a nut 8'. The

rod 8 extends inwardly radially beneath the W body 7 and the base 6, past the center oil the base, and its free end supports a guide member, which preferably comprises a roller 9, the la ttcr being pivotally mounted upon a vertically disposed shank or post S), which passes diametrii'rally through tl e said rod, and may be held in various adjusted positions, by means of a set-screw 9. The roller 9 is preferably the same diameter the bit 4, and theaxis of said roller preferably coincides exactly with the axis of the bit, the said roller and the post 9 being adjustable vertically towards and away from the bit, for enabling the bit-to rout or cut the top surface of Work, as 00, of varying thick ness. For the purpose of illustrating-the arrangement and operation of the present device, the work as is shown mounted upon a rigid templet or guide shown conventionally at 10, and which may be elevated above a bench or other support, by means of legs 10 (see Fig. The guiding and directing IOU i of the bit 4, is accomplished in a simple and accurate manner, by means of guideways that are formed in the bottom face of the templet, such a guide-way being shown at 10, in Fig. 2, wherein the roller 9 is being moved in the direction of the arrow along said way, and is directing and guiding the bit 4, which is shown in the act of cutting an identical pattern or groove, as in the top face of the work. The dotted lines in Fig. 2, indicate the uncut portion of the groove :12, as well as the corresponding portion of the guide-way 10, The guide-way 10? is preferably formed with smooth vertical guide-faces, as 10, over which the roller 9 travels frictionally, and as the pattern 10 is usually broader than the diameter 'of the bit 4; and the roller 2 the operator maneuvers the router in a manner to cause the roller to traverse one guiding surface l0 throughout its entire length, and then shifts the machine for causing the roller 9 to traverse the opposite guide face 10", during the return movement of the machine. This completes the tracing of the pattern. In the case of relatively large pat terns, in which the guide faces 10" are more widely spaced, the operator repeats the forward and backward movements of the router until the groove 0; is entirely out. Upon the completion of the routing, the machine should be moved in the direction to withdraw the roller 9 from the guide-way 10, after which the machine may be removed from the work a2. Invcase the router is required for ordinary routing work, where patterns of the character herein shown are not available or necessary, the bracket 7 may be readily and quickly detached from the base 6, by simply removing the nuts 7'. By providing guide-ways as 10, of the exact size and shape of the pattern to be reproduced in the work by the bit 4, and by providing the coinciding guide member '9 of exactly the same diameter as the bit, and disposing the guiding means comprising the member 9 and the patterirguides 10 below the plane of the work, thereby leaving the surface to be routed clear of obstructions, enables the operator to freely maneuver the machine and to constantly observe the execution of the bit. of the guiding means Furthermore, the disposing below the work, not

only tends to quicken .the work of the router,

but enables an operator of ordinary skill to accurately trace and cut identical patterns, as well as to repeat the said operations in a reliable and ready manner.

Having thus described my invention, I claim, is h In a router device, a templet formed to receive the work on its upper face and having a guide on its under face, a portable base formed to movably seat on the upper face of the work so as to be solely supported thereby, a router carried by the base and extending below the latter to engage the work, an upwardly extending guide n'ieinber on gaging the tcmplet guide, and means to support the guide member from the base so as to partake of all of the movements of the base.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

RAY CARTER.

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